A dimensional journey starting from the Dragon Clan

Kirei nodded. No matter how he thought about it, he had no reason to desire a wish machine.

"Well, that's true. It's a little strange. If you and the Holy Grail are connected, it would be your father's role as supervisor... No, because of this, you can consider it this way——"

"What do you mean?"

"The Holy Grail may have seen through that the Holy Church is Tohsaka's backing. If the church's agent obtains the command spell, it will be helpful to Tohsaka."

After saying this, Tokiomi paused for a moment as if he felt satisfied.

"That is to say, the Holy Grail chose you as Master in order to give me Tohsaka the command spell for two people... What do you think? Can you accept this explanation?"

End with a definite, irrefutable tone.

"..."

Such arrogant self-confidence is very suitable for the man Tosaka Tokiomi. And it's not annoying, because this man has this inherent majesty.

Indeed, Tokiomi was an excellent man as a magician. In addition, he also has the self-confidence to match this excellence. Therefore, he will never doubt his judgment.

This means that no matter how much you ask here, you won't be able to get a more satisfactory answer than Tokiomi's answer just now - Kirei concluded like this.

"When will you return to Japan?"

Kirei did not show his inner disappointment and changed the content of his question.

"I'm going to England first. If I have something to do, I have to go to the 'Clock Tower'. You go back to Japan first. Please convey this to my family."

"I understand... then, should we do it as soon as possible?"

"Kirei, please go back first. Tohsaka-sama and I still have something to say.

Nodding towards his father, Kirei bowed to Shimo and left the room alone.

············

Tokiomi Tosaka and Father Rimasa were left behind, looking at each other out of the window wordlessly, watching the back of Kotomine Kirei as he left.

"Your son is really trustworthy, Kotomine."

"There is no doubt about his ability as an 'agent'. Among my colleagues, there are not many people who practice as hard as him. I even felt a little scary watching from the side."

"Oh... isn't this an exemplary attitude as a guardian of the faith?"

"Oh my, I'm really ashamed to say it. This is the only child I can be proud of."

The old priest was always known for his sternness, and he seemed to trust Tokiomi, with an unabashed smile on his face. From the corner of his eyes, he could clearly see the trust and love he had for his only son.

"I'm fifty years old and still have no children. When I was already planning to give up on a successor... now I really didn't expect that God would give me such a good son."

"But I didn't expect him to agree so easily."

"If it was the will of the church, the child would jump into a pit of fire because his passion for faith is too intense."

Tokiomi did not doubt the meaning of the old priest's words, but the impression he got from Father Risei's son was somewhat different from the so-called "passion for faith." Kirei's calm movements made people feel a kind of emptiness.

"To be honest, it's really disappointing. From his point of view, this is no different from being involved in an unrelated struggle."

"No...it might be a kind of redemption for him."

After using vague words, Father Risei said with a hint of melancholy.

"This has never been told to outsiders. The child just lost his wife. And he is a newlywed wife who has only been married for two years."

"Oh, that's really——"

Hearing this unexpected thing, Tokiomi didn't know how to answer.

"Although he didn't show it, he must be holding back the pain. ... Italy is full of too many memories. Returning to his long-lost homeland, changing his horizons, and starting a new mission may be the best thing for Kirei now. It’s the best way to heal.”

Father Risei sighed, then looked directly into Tokiomi's eyes and continued.

"Tokiomi-kun, please let my son help you. He is the kind of man who will constantly seek tests to strengthen his faith. The deeper the suffering, the more he can display his true value."

After listening to the old priest's words, Tokiomi bowed his head deeply.

"I'm really sorry. The kindness shown to me by the Holy Church Church and the Kotomine family will always be remembered in the family motto of our Tohsaka family."

"It's nothing, I just fulfilled the oath I made with my predecessor, the Tohsaka clan leader.

——The rest is just to pray for God’s blessing on your way to the ‘root’. "

"Understood. My grandfather's regrets and regrets, the long-cherished wish of the Tohsaka clan, my life exists to bear this important responsibility."

Feeling the great responsibility and the confidence to shoulder this important task, Tokiomi nodded resolutely.

"I will definitely get the Holy Grail this time. Please watch me get there."

Seeing Tokiomi's upright attitude, Father Risei remembered the face of his deceased friend and blessed:

"My friend...you also got a good heir."

············

With his hair ruffled by the cool wind from the Mediterranean, Kotomine Kirei walked silently and alone on the ninety-nine winding path that extended from the villa on the top of the hill.

Regarding Tosaka Tokiomi, whom he had been talking to just now, Kirei began to recall and organize his various impressions of him.

He must have spent half his life full of hardships and twists and turns. A man who has tasted bitterness and transformed it into a proud man with unwavering self-confidence and dignity.

It's easy to understand what this guy is thinking. Because Kirei's father was the same type as that Tokiomi.

The meaning of being born in this world, the meaning of his own life, these are all defined by himself, and he believes in this as an unquestionable belief. They will never be confused or hesitant.

In any situation in life, act for the purpose of life. The iron will to act according to clear guidelines. If Kirei's father considered that "form of faith" to be a devout faith, for Tosaka Tokiomi, it was probably the pride of being a "person chosen by God" - that was a different responsibility. Self-awareness of civilian privileges and responsibilities. That is the descendant of a "true noble" that is rarely seen these days.

From now on, the existence of Tokiomi Tosaka will be of great significance to Kirei. But...even so, he is a completely incompatible type of person for Kirei. Just because he is the same kind of person as his father, he can say this with certainty.

People who only see ideals cannot understand the hesitation and distress of people without ideals.

Kirei fundamentally lacks the "consciousness of purpose" that is the basis of belief for people like Tokiomi. And I have never had that kind of thing in my more than twenty years of life.

Ever since he could remember, he had never felt that any idea could be called sublime, and he had never experienced the slightest pleasure from various explorations. There is no peace of mind gained from any kind of entertainment. It is fundamentally impossible for people like him to have such a thing as "awareness of purpose."

Why are my feelings so different from the values ​​​​of ordinary people in the world? There is such a big deviation. He didn't even understand the reason. In general, Kirei has not found anything in any field that allows him to adopt a positive attitude and inject all his enthusiasm to make it successful.

But even so he still believed in the existence of God. It’s just that I’m not very mature yet, so I don’t see the truly noble things.

One day, he can be guided by the lofty truth and saved by the sacred gospel. This is the belief that he still lives on. Take this hope as your only bet, and your life completely depends on this hope.

But deep down, Kirei already understood. Even relying on God’s love, one cannot be saved.

Feeling angry and desperate about himself pushed him into the abyss of self-abuse. Under the guise of asceticism, we continue to harm our bodies in vain. It was precisely because of this that Kirei's body was tempered like steel. When he woke up and looked back, he realized that there was no one around him who could match him. He also became the elite "agent" of the Holy Church. seat.

Everyone thinks that is an "honor". Commend Kotomine Kirei's self-denial and devotion as an example to the priesthood. Even his father Rizheng was no exception.

Kirei understood and understood the extent of Kotomine Rimasa's trust and appreciation for his son. He even felt a little embarrassed about this misunderstanding that was seriously out of touch with the actual situation. This misunderstanding will definitely never be corrected in my lifetime.

The incomplete personality that Kirei carries in his heart has never been understood by anyone until today.

Yes, not even the only woman I have ever loved——

"..."

Suddenly feeling a dizzy feeling, Kirei slowed down and put his hand on his forehead.

Whenever I first think about my deceased wife, it's like there's a layer of fog behind me, and I can't concentrate on my thoughts for some reason. It was like standing on the edge of a cliff in the fog. You must not take another step forward, you are instinctively avoiding it.

When I came back to my senses, I saw that I had reached the foot of the mountain. Kirei stopped and looked back at the villa on the top of the mountain.

In today's meeting with Tokiomi Tosaka, the biggest question that did not receive a satisfactory answer in the end... That question was the one that concerned Kirei the most.

Why did the miraculous power of the "Holy Grail" choose Kotomine Kirei?

According to Tokiomi's explanation, it was a forced choice. If the Holy Grail just needed to find backup for Tokiomi.

Even if it's not Kirei, there should be many people who are closer to Tokiomi.

There are still three years until the next appearance of the Holy Grail. Then Kirei, who was given a command curse so early, must have other reasons for being chosen.

But...the more I think about it, the more I feel there are many contradictions, which makes Kirei very distressed.

Originally, he was one of those people who "will never be chosen."

Kirei has no "consciousness of purpose". Therefore, there are no ideals and no wishes. No matter what, he couldn't undertake the miracle of realizing the "universal wish machine".

Kirei looked at the three signs that appeared on the back of his right hand with a heavy expression.

It is said that the Command Seal is the Holy Mark.

Will I reach the point where I have to take on something after three years?

--a year ago--

The female face you want to search for has been found.

At noon on a holiday, the warm sunshine of Indian summer shines on the lawn. The smiling faces of children running around and playing and the smiling faces of adults guarding their children catch the eye. The park square surrounding the fountain is loved by the general public as a place where the whole family can play together and gain peace of mind.

In it he hesitated.

No matter what kind of crowd he is in, no matter how far away he is, even if he has not seen her for almost a month and is almost a stranger... he is confident that he can easily and immediately find the one who is right for him. The "only" woman.

He walked over to the woman who was enjoying the shade in the shade of a tree. The woman finally became aware of his visit.

"——Hey, long time no see."

"Oh - Kariya-kun"

A charming and dignified smile spread across her lips, and she raised her eyes from the book she was reading.

He looked haggard - Kariya could see it, and he felt an uneasiness that he couldn't get rid of. She seemed to be sad for something.

He wanted to ask her the reason immediately, to do his part for her no matter what, and to solve the source of her pain - but even if he had such an impulse, this was impossible for Kariya. He was not close enough to this woman to help her without any scruples.

"We haven't seen each other for three months. This business trip is really long."

"Ah...yes."

Her smile must appear in sleep, in tender dreams. But once he saw the smile in real life, he didn't have the courage to face it. It has been like this for the past eight years, and it will always be like this forever. Kariya will never be able to face this smile.

The person who made himself so timid didn't know what topic to start as soon as he finished the initial pleasantries, and there was a subtle blank period. This happens every time.

In order not to fall into an embarrassing silence, Kariya began to look for someone who could talk casually.

--found it. Mixing with other children on the lawn, jumping around energetically, although she is still very young, she has already begun to show the beauty she inherited from her mother.

"Xiao Lin."

After calling out like this, Kariya waved to her. The girl named Rin noticed immediately and ran over with a smile on her face.

"Uncle Kariya, you're back! Did you buy me another gift?"

"Rin, you kid is so ungrateful..."

The young child seemed not to notice the mother's embarrassed voice and face at all. Facing Rin's big eyes that were shining with expectation, Kariya responded with a smile and took out one of the two hidden gifts.

"Wow, so beautiful..."

The exquisite brooch made of large and small glass beads captured the girl's heart immediately. Considering her age, this gift seemed a bit premature, but Kariya knew very well that Rin had an aesthetic taste that transcended her age. ()